We Shall Fight Them On The Beaches
There was a high pitched whining sound, followed by a large splash as the shell landed in the sea. This, in turn, was followed by a thump. Then screaming. Loud screaming.
Trooper Tolk Karrin of the 1st Athorik regulars watched the burning corpses of the enemy hurled 50 feet into the air as the earthshaker cannon's shell exploded. He envied the crew of that gun now more than ever. They were miles away, safe from both ground and air attacks in their rockcrete bunkers. Tolk wished-
" Trooper Karrin you bastard!"
Karrin turned his head quickly to see the sarge standing next to him. Anger was clearly displayed on his face.
"Awake now are we?" said the sarge, oozing sarcasm. "If its not to much trouble sir, would you mind keeping your bloody lasgun up and your eyes to the front!"
"Sure." Karrin replied. The sergeants shoulders sagged and his face took on an exhausted look.
"For the emperors sake Karrin would it kill you to say sir once in a while?". The sarge had been trying to get Karrin to say "Sir" since the beginning of basic training over a year ago. Karrin had been asked this question many times. He always gave the same answer.
"I suppose not." The sarge's shoulders fell even more and with a sigh he spun on his heel and started walking down the trench. Karrin suddenly realised he had been having a conversation about etiquette in the middle of a battle field. His attention was quickly brought back to reality when a whistle blew. It was followed by a shout from down the line.
"Estimated 30 seconds until they disembark. Get ready Lads." Karrin moved his left hand down to his side arm to check it was armed before moving it back up to the wooden grip of his lasgun. He pushed the stock firmly into his shoulder and slowly angled his head so that his eye was looking along the barrel. He could see the landing craft moving towards him. They were large ugly beasts, badly made and old. Many of them had broken down before they made the beach, their ancient engines simply stopping. More had been destroyed or halted by shrapnel from the earthshaker cannons, or the accurate shots of the heavy weapons being used by the troops sitting in the defences along the beach. But it didn't make a difference. No matter how many of the transports were destroyed there was always two more to fill its place. And each one of those transports would contain just as many of the foul worshippers of chaos as the first had. The servants of the dark gods were attempting to take Rivalok. They would fail.
Karrin looked down the line. He was on the firestep of the beaches first line of trenches. The first line of defence. His entire regiment was positioned here, 4000 men all told, and every one of them experiencing their first battle.
The landing craft were close now. Very close. Karrin kept his lasgun aimed at the nearest one. It was slowing down, it had probably hit the sand.
Karrin took in a deep breath.
The landing craft stopped. All along the line, there was silence. The soldiers would not move, for fear that the slightest sound would be heard by the enemy, and they would start the attack.
The ramp of the landing craft began to emit a groaning sound. In seconds the ramp would lower.
Karrin gripped his lasgun more tightly, and gently slowed his breathing, like he had been taught by
Kasser, one of the regiments snipers. He had been told that it would slow his heartbeat. This was not so. His heartbeat became faster and louder, and soon he could hear it in his ears and feel it in his chest. Something began to grow in the pit of his stomach. He knew what would happen next.
"No" he thought. "Please, emperor not now...."
Visions appeared in his head. Visions of an enemy soldier with a disfigured face ramming his bayonet into Karrin's abdomen. Visions of himself cowering in a corner as a grenade slowly rolled towards him. Visions of his entire regiment attempting to flee, only to be cut down by the chaos worshippers in pursuit. Karrin grabbed his stomach and squeezed it in a feeble attempt to rid himself of the growing tightness there. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, willing the visions to go away. His exterior was silent, but inside he was screaming, throwing himself at the wall that his fear had created. He ran at it and kicked it, trying to create some kind of break or crack. But to no avail. The wall stood, as high and thick as ever, its flat featureless surface laughing at him. The wall whispered to him.
" You and I are one." It said with a cold emotionless voice." You cannot destroy me."
Karrin screamed and collapsed to the floor in a heap. He began to cry. He knew he was going to die here. He would never see his brother again. He-. Karrin felt a point of warmth on his body. He opened his eyes. There was a hole in the wall. It was tiny, probably not much bigger than a pin, but it was there, and through it shone a warm golden light.
Karrin's mind raced. What had caused the hole to appear? He closed his eyes again, and went over his thoughts and actions after he had collapsed. He stopped at the point where his thoughts had turned to his brother.
His brother.
Karrin opened his eyes to see that the hole was bigger. More golden light was pouring out of it. Karrin's thoughts turned to his brother once more, he remembered them playing together in the ruined castle of Kerorick back on Athoric. He remembered the long warm summers working in the fields with him. He remembered the day he had joined the guard, after they had made a promise that they both would. Karrin's mind went over everything he and his brother had done together, all the happy times they had had. Before him the wall was crumbling. Its once featureless onyx surface was now covered in cracks and holes, and entire sections of the wall began to crumble under the onslaught of joy and happiness. Karrin thought more about his brother, and his thoughts soon passed to other members his family, his friends, and his hometown on Athorick. The holes in the wall grew and more golden light shone through. Soon Karrin's entire body was bathed in warmth and he stood up to witness the final destruction of his fear. The tightness in his stomach had gone and he knew how to defeat his fears. HE opened his eyes.
"FIRE!" The command came just as the ramp of the landing craft hit the sand. Dozens of figures spewed out of it, many wore grotesque masks and all had foul marks cut into their forehead. They were wielding primitive firearms and rusty knives or swords. They were all screaming.
Karrin saw about two dozen enemy troopers emerge from the landing craft, and he swiftly took aim on the closest, his shot blowing out the cultists throat. Karrin's next few shots killed several enemy troopers, but soon concentrated fire from an autocannon cut through the group. For the next minute Karrin hosed the beach with fire before his power cell ran dry and he stepped back to take stock of the situation. To his right a large mob of cultists were attempting to storm a heavy bolter position, but the high calibre shots of this heavy weapon were ripping through the advancing group as they desperately sought to find cover. To his left a landing craft had broken down as it reached the beach and was unable to lower its ramp. The imperial troops in the trenches closest to it were hurling frag grenades into its belly, the explosions throwing the corpses of the men inside out into the surf. To his front another landing craft was disgorging its cargo of troops onto the beach. Several guardsmen were already firing at the olive clad figures sprinting down the ramp, and Karrin quickly slammed a fresh power cell into his weapon and joined in, loosing several shots at the advancing group. Despite the hail of fire they were coming under the group did not halt or take cover, and they quickly ran up the beach, getting to within 10 feet of the trench before flames washed over them, the inferno killing them all.
Karrin laughed
He was still laughing when two more landing craft lowered the ramps and more cultists surged towards the imperial position.
He was still laughing when, despite half their number being cut down, the same determined group of cultists took a heavy stubber position and turned the weapon on Karrin's squad, killing many.
He was still laughing when the cultists realised the weakness in this part of the line and concentrated their forces on it.
He was laughing right up until he was knocked unconscious and left for dead by the enemy.
There was a high pitched whining sound, followed by a large splash as the shell landed in the sea. This, in turn, was followed by a thump. Then screaming. Loud screaming.
Trooper Tolk Karrin of the 1st Athorik regulars watched the burning corpses of the enemy hurled 50 feet into the air as the earthshaker cannon's shell exploded. He envied the crew of that gun now more than ever. They were miles away, safe from both ground and air attacks in their rockcrete bunkers. Tolk wished-
" Trooper Karrin you bastard!"
Karrin turned his head quickly to see the sarge standing next to him. Anger was clearly displayed on his face.
"Awake now are we?" said the sarge, oozing sarcasm. "If its not to much trouble sir, would you mind keeping your bloody lasgun up and your eyes to the front!"
"Sure." Karrin replied. The sergeants shoulders sagged and his face took on an exhausted look.
"For the emperors sake Karrin would it kill you to say sir once in a while?". The sarge had been trying to get Karrin to say "Sir" since the beginning of basic training over a year ago. Karrin had been asked this question many times. He always gave the same answer.
"I suppose not." The sarge's shoulders fell even more and with a sigh he spun on his heel and started walking down the trench. Karrin suddenly realised he had been having a conversation about etiquette in the middle of a battle field. His attention was quickly brought back to reality when a whistle blew. It was followed by a shout from down the line.
"Estimated 30 seconds until they disembark. Get ready Lads." Karrin moved his left hand down to his side arm to check it was armed before moving it back up to the wooden grip of his lasgun. He pushed the stock firmly into his shoulder and slowly angled his head so that his eye was looking along the barrel. He could see the landing craft moving towards him. They were large ugly beasts, badly made and old. Many of them had broken down before they made the beach, their ancient engines simply stopping. More had been destroyed or halted by shrapnel from the earthshaker cannons, or the accurate shots of the heavy weapons being used by the troops sitting in the defences along the beach. But it didn't make a difference. No matter how many of the transports were destroyed there was always two more to fill its place. And each one of those transports would contain just as many of the foul worshippers of chaos as the first had. The servants of the dark gods were attempting to take Rivalok. They would fail.
Karrin looked down the line. He was on the firestep of the beaches first line of trenches. The first line of defence. His entire regiment was positioned here, 4000 men all told, and every one of them experiencing their first battle.
The landing craft were close now. Very close. Karrin kept his lasgun aimed at the nearest one. It was slowing down, it had probably hit the sand.
Karrin took in a deep breath.
The landing craft stopped. All along the line, there was silence. The soldiers would not move, for fear that the slightest sound would be heard by the enemy, and they would start the attack.
The ramp of the landing craft began to emit a groaning sound. In seconds the ramp would lower.
Karrin gripped his lasgun more tightly, and gently slowed his breathing, like he had been taught by
Kasser, one of the regiments snipers. He had been told that it would slow his heartbeat. This was not so. His heartbeat became faster and louder, and soon he could hear it in his ears and feel it in his chest. Something began to grow in the pit of his stomach. He knew what would happen next.
"No" he thought. "Please, emperor not now...."
Visions appeared in his head. Visions of an enemy soldier with a disfigured face ramming his bayonet into Karrin's abdomen. Visions of himself cowering in a corner as a grenade slowly rolled towards him. Visions of his entire regiment attempting to flee, only to be cut down by the chaos worshippers in pursuit. Karrin grabbed his stomach and squeezed it in a feeble attempt to rid himself of the growing tightness there. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, willing the visions to go away. His exterior was silent, but inside he was screaming, throwing himself at the wall that his fear had created. He ran at it and kicked it, trying to create some kind of break or crack. But to no avail. The wall stood, as high and thick as ever, its flat featureless surface laughing at him. The wall whispered to him.
" You and I are one." It said with a cold emotionless voice." You cannot destroy me."
Karrin screamed and collapsed to the floor in a heap. He began to cry. He knew he was going to die here. He would never see his brother again. He-. Karrin felt a point of warmth on his body. He opened his eyes. There was a hole in the wall. It was tiny, probably not much bigger than a pin, but it was there, and through it shone a warm golden light.
Karrin's mind raced. What had caused the hole to appear? He closed his eyes again, and went over his thoughts and actions after he had collapsed. He stopped at the point where his thoughts had turned to his brother.
His brother.
Karrin opened his eyes to see that the hole was bigger. More golden light was pouring out of it. Karrin's thoughts turned to his brother once more, he remembered them playing together in the ruined castle of Kerorick back on Athoric. He remembered the long warm summers working in the fields with him. He remembered the day he had joined the guard, after they had made a promise that they both would. Karrin's mind went over everything he and his brother had done together, all the happy times they had had. Before him the wall was crumbling. Its once featureless onyx surface was now covered in cracks and holes, and entire sections of the wall began to crumble under the onslaught of joy and happiness. Karrin thought more about his brother, and his thoughts soon passed to other members his family, his friends, and his hometown on Athorick. The holes in the wall grew and more golden light shone through. Soon Karrin's entire body was bathed in warmth and he stood up to witness the final destruction of his fear. The tightness in his stomach had gone and he knew how to defeat his fears. HE opened his eyes.
"FIRE!" The command came just as the ramp of the landing craft hit the sand. Dozens of figures spewed out of it, many wore grotesque masks and all had foul marks cut into their forehead. They were wielding primitive firearms and rusty knives or swords. They were all screaming.
Karrin saw about two dozen enemy troopers emerge from the landing craft, and he swiftly took aim on the closest, his shot blowing out the cultists throat. Karrin's next few shots killed several enemy troopers, but soon concentrated fire from an autocannon cut through the group. For the next minute Karrin hosed the beach with fire before his power cell ran dry and he stepped back to take stock of the situation. To his right a large mob of cultists were attempting to storm a heavy bolter position, but the high calibre shots of this heavy weapon were ripping through the advancing group as they desperately sought to find cover. To his left a landing craft had broken down as it reached the beach and was unable to lower its ramp. The imperial troops in the trenches closest to it were hurling frag grenades into its belly, the explosions throwing the corpses of the men inside out into the surf. To his front another landing craft was disgorging its cargo of troops onto the beach. Several guardsmen were already firing at the olive clad figures sprinting down the ramp, and Karrin quickly slammed a fresh power cell into his weapon and joined in, loosing several shots at the advancing group. Despite the hail of fire they were coming under the group did not halt or take cover, and they quickly ran up the beach, getting to within 10 feet of the trench before flames washed over them, the inferno killing them all.
Karrin laughed
He was still laughing when two more landing craft lowered the ramps and more cultists surged towards the imperial position.
He was still laughing when, despite half their number being cut down, the same determined group of cultists took a heavy stubber position and turned the weapon on Karrin's squad, killing many.
He was still laughing when the cultists realised the weakness in this part of the line and concentrated their forces on it.
He was laughing right up until he was knocked unconscious and left for dead by the enemy.